Chicken with Cherry-Wine Pan Sauce is an elegant yet easy 20 minute dinner recipe that's perfect for date night at home, or entertaining. Simple yet impressive!
As a food content creator, I start planning and prepping for food-centric holidays weeks in advance so that by the time the actual holiday rolls around I’ve pretty much moved on.
Case in point, I saw a Valentine’s Day commercial the other day and wondered why the heck it was still airing. Oh yeah, because Valentine’s Day isn’t until next week!
Watch How to Make It!
Luscious Chicken with Cherry Pan Sauce
What have I been working on for said sweet holiday? Chicken with Cherry-Wine Pan Sauce!
Simply seasoned chicken breasts are seared then smothered in a dreamy, wine-soaked cherry sauce made right in the same skillet.
Between the wine and festive ruby-red cherries, there is no better dish to make and celebrate the holiday at home with.
20 minutes, one skillet, and totally elegant, yet easy enough to make any night of the week.
How to Make this Recipe
Start by searing chicken breasts that have been pounded to an even thickness in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Brush or mist both sides with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper, then add to the hot skillet and saute for 3-4 minutes a side, or until cooked through. Remove to a plate then tent with foil to keep warm.
Next melt butter in the same skillet then add chopped shallot and saute until tender, about 2 minutes.
Once the shallots are tender, carefully pour in red wine (I like Cabernet,) chicken broth, and balsamic vinegar.
Let the sauce simmer and reduce by about half, 3-4 minutes.
Next add pitted sweet cherries which add just the right amount of sweetness to the pan sauce.
Feel free to use fresh or frozen pitted sweet cherries. If you’re using frozen, you don’t need to thaw them first.
Once the cherries warm in the hot skillet, press lightly on them with a wooden spoon to help break them up a bit. Next sprinkle in chopped fresh thyme (you could use a pinch of dried thyme…in a pinch!)
Continue to reduce the sauce until thickened but still syrupy, 2-3 minutes, then stir in butter and the fresh lemon juice.
The lemon TOTALLY makes this dish!
Plate the chicken then spoon the luscious, ruby-hued sauce over the top — yum!
Serve simply with a fresh side salad or roasted broccoli as you see pictured here. That’s just fresh broccoli florets tossed with extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper then roasted for 10 minutes at 425 minutes. Perfection!
Whether you make this dish to celebrate Valentine’s Day, or simply to make a Tuesday evening feel extra special and elegant, I hope you enjoy every last drop!
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts, ~2lbs, pounded to an even thickness
- extra virgin olive oil, for brushing
- salt and pepper
- 2 Tablespoons butter or vegan butter, divided
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 1 cup red wine, Cabernet recommended
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 12 oz fresh or frozen pitted sweet cherries, no need to thaw if frozen
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
- 1/2 lemon
Directions
- Brush both sides of the chicken with extra virgin olive oil then season with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat then add the chicken and saute until cooked through, 3-4 minutes a side. Remove chicken to a plate then tent with foil to keep warm.
- Melt 1 Tablespoon butter in same skillet then add shallots and saute until tender, 2 minutes. Add wine, chicken broth, and balsamic vinegar then simmer until the sauce is reduced by nearly half, 3-4 minutes. Add the cherries and fresh thyme then continue to simmer the sauce until slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes, pressing down on cherries gently with the back of a wooden spoon.
- Remove skillet from heat then stir in remaining Tablespoon butter and lemon juice. Spoon over chicken breasts then serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
I made this recipe exact but I feel like it needs a subtle sweetness to it. Perhaps a little brown sugar up in there. It is a lovely sauce though! Thank you for the recipe!
Hey Brandi! Did you use sweet or sour cherries? Sour cherries would definitely need a little drizzle of honey or sugar added to the sauce!
Is there any nutritional statistics?
I found this recipe through My Fitness Pal . They said 365 calories, 10 g total fat, Carbs 17 g, Dietary fiber 2 g, Protein 41 g
Can I freeze this sauce
I think that could work, Janet!
Made this for valentine’s day dinner last night and it was SUCH a hit with the entire family! Even the picky 5 year old ate nearly a whole chicken breast. I don’t think I pounded the breasts thin enough, so they didn’t quite finish cooking while I seared them. I just popped them back into the sauce and threw on the lid for the final few minutes, and they were perfect. Really easy but elegant recipe!
I made this with fresh cherries and it was phenomenal. Made a few tweaks to the recipe but found your video to be so helpful. Thank you for the wonderful meal idea.
So glad you loved it, Rio! I bet it was phenomenal with fresh cherries!
Great recipe! I modified it slightly by only cooking the chicken 90% of the way through at first, and then finished cooking it in the sauce while the sauce is reducing. That way the chicken soaks up the delicious wine flavor! It turned out amazing!
My 2nd comment about this recipe. My sister and niece came to visit for a week, were wined and dined at restaurants but said this was the best meal they ate here!
That is so awesome!! Thanks so much for letting me know, Denise!
We made this kosher for Passover so didn’t use butter, also I browned skin-on thighs in the pan first. I stuck faithfully to the ingredients and quantities for the sauce and it was absolutely delicious. A definite make again.
This recipe inspired me. After I added the cherries, bought to simmer and then I added the chicken back into sauce. Finished cooking the chicken while reducing the sauce. YUMmmy
I have tried this from a friend and never got the recipe im so glad i found this…
I made this last night and my husband and I loved it. I have always loved the addition of fruit to poultry and fish. Thank you for the recipe!
looks great ;)
Is there something I could use instead of the wine? I know it’s not much and the alcohol burns off, but I prefer not to use it at all.
Thanks, Christy
Hi Christy! You could experiment with a combo of pomegranate juice and chicken broth? I haven’t tried it but sounds like it could be pretty delicious!